There have been quite a few studies this year that have reported benefits associated with cryotherapy treatments. Many Chiltonic clients have reported experiencing these benefits. Some have confided that they have made Chiltonic their ‘pain recovery home’ because the benefits have been significant. One client recently admitted weaning herself off opioids using cryotherapy. However, it is always good to actually see credible information from reputable sources reporting the results of various studies which independently confirm these benefits.

Here are a few studies in 2019 that we came across. If you find more, let us know in the comments section below because we always like to confirm our belief in this form of therapy.

In April 2019, the National Institutes of Health reported the results of a study confirming that whole body cryotherapy and physical exercise training was an effective therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). They concluded that the “introduction of WBC into the standard physiotherapy protocol for patients with MS is fully justified.”

Also in April 2019, the National Institutes of Health reported that there was some evidence that cryotherapy may be effective in reducing pain following certain dental procedures.

In August 2019, the National Institutes of Health suggested that WBC had the potential to enhance the performance of athletes in competition. They concluded the following: “It appears that the physiological responses associated with acute and/or chronic exposure to WBC can elicit effects that could promote athletic performance when employed before competitive events. The potentiating effects of hormonal changes, reductions in body temperatures and perceived soreness and fatigue, all point to the potential of WBC as a warm-up activity.”

In March 2019, the National Institutes of Health reported that cryotherapy can reduce postoperative pain in patients who underwent gynecologic surgery.

These are all significant and objective observations which confirm the reports from many of the clients we speak to at Chiltonic. Share your experiences with cryotherapy treatments? Has it helped your pain any? Let us have a conversation.

It is a time when many organizations work to “raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management.”

We are keenly aware of the debilitating effects of pain here at Chiltonic because many of our clients visit us to relieve pain. For example, our clients utilize Whole Body Cryotherapy and spot cryotherapy treatments to relieve their pain and inflammation. And now we are so excited to announce that we recently added one more modality to manage pain at Chiltonic . We have added Cryo & Thermal massages.

Normally when we hear about massages, we think about swedish, deep tissue or sports massage where the massage therapist uses his or her bare hands to provide the services. These types of massages are fairly effective. The goal is usually to relax the muscles, improve circulation, relieve pain, maintain flexibility, prevent injury, help recovery and relieve tension in the body. And sometimes the deeper the massage, the more painful it can be. So here is an instance where we may be trying to relieve pain but the process we use to do it may cause some pain.

Massage technology has significantly evolved and now we are able to provide even more effective massage results using a handheld device - a special wand which delivers hot and/or cold massages. A well trained massage technician can use this wand to rub or knead the muscles and other soft tissues and produce incredible results, like pain relief without the added pain of certain deep tissue massages

We previously discussed how effective hot and cold therapy can be for pain. Here at Chiltonic, our ability to provide these specialized massages to our clients using a special wand has resulted in significant pain improvement. Massages are great to relieve pain and discomfort and there are many scientific studies to support the effectiveness. I took the time to educate myself and read a few articles with scientific support about pain and massages. They discuss how we can reduce pain effectively using massages as well as nutrition. You might find these helpful as well.

For this reason, we are extending a special offer to all our clients during the month of September.

Chiltonic is offering a 15% discount on all pain related services. These services include whole body cryotherapy, cryo spot treatments as well as our recent addition of cryo and thermal massages.

Learn more about these services and visit us in Encinitas and La Jolla to experience these alternatives to traditional pain therapy.

If you are breathing, chances are you have experienced some type of physical pain in your life whether it be due to injury or having some type of chronic health condition such as arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Pain can be intense and really affects the quality of your life. Some even say it may be “better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.”

Unfortunately, according to recent data, chronic pain affects 20 percent of Americans. More specifically, there are 50 million Americans with chronic pain and 20 million with high-impact pain.

Sometimes pain is managed with highly addictive drugs called opioids. Now opioids have contributed to a drug epidemic in America.

So clearly it’s important for us all to be proactive about pain management and explore credible alternative therapies to alleviate pain.Two pain relieving therapies are cryotherapy and thermography.

Cryotherapy (cold therapy)

You are probably very familiar with applying an ice pack on a rolled ankle to reduce swelling or maybe on an injured knee. This is a form of cold therapy. Cryotherapy, sometimes referred to as cold therapy, has become a pretty popular treatment for pain these days.

Cold therapy promotes vasoconstriction or constriction of the blood vessels. When the blood vessels constrict, blood circulation is slowed which in turn reduces redness, swelling, spasms and pain.

The cold temperature may also numb sharp pain. It can also reduce nerve activity, which may also provide some pain relief. Essentially, cold therapy may be good for pain.

Thermography (heat therapy).

Unlike cold therapy, heat therapy increases the flow of blood and nutrients to various areas of the body. Heat is sometimes used to alleviate muscle stiffness and pain. It is also reported to be great for chronic low back pain as well as chronic pain in general.

“There is more support to use heat for back pain, because muscle tightness tends to predominate,” according to Harvard Health.

Hot temperatures widen blood vessels, which usually promotes circulation. This increased circulation, in turn, will usually provide the nutrients the body needs to recover and reduce pain.

Heat therapy may involve applying a heating pad or maybe even going into a sauna. It may also involve taking a hot bath or using a steamed towel.

But did you know there is a combination therapy which utilizes both cold and hot therapy?

Many medical professionals suggest alternating between cold and heat therapy in order to best manage your pain.

For example, check out this very informative and helpful chart provided by the Cleveland Clinic. When you have a muscle strain, cold therapy may ease the inflammation and numb the pain. Heat therapy will usually ease the muscle stiffness after the inflammation resolves.

But heat and ice can be used together in an alternating pattern to create a “pumping” action in the circulatory system by restricting circulation to reduce swelling and then increasing circulation to a particular area. This alternation between heat and cold may result in an improved range of motion and expedited pain recovery. This type of therapy is typically used when an injury is at a week or longer maturity, and heat or ice alone has not worked.

There is even credible evidence that a combination of heat and cold therapy may be good for low back pain.

“Taken together, the findings of this study indicated that thermotherapy and cryotherapy caused low back pain to be relieved. Since these methods predictably have fewer side-effects and are economical and accessible, they could be used, alongside pharmacologic treatments, as supplementary ones for reducing pain in the patients with low back pain,” reports the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

All this information about hot and cold therapy for pain made be gain renewed appreciation for the Cryo T Shock machine as a pain relief device.

The Cryo T Shock involves the use of a very innovative machine that delivers alternating “thermal shocks” of thermography(heat therapy) and cryotherapy(cold therapy). It is usually utilized for its ability to destroy fat cells and cellulite as well as body sculpting. However, its ability to deliver cold and heat therapy together has made it an effective painkiller.

Precautions with cold and hot therapy?

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking of utilizing cold and hot therapy:

If you are experiencing bruising and swelling, you will most likely use cold therapy.

Cold therapy should not be used on stiff muscles or joints or if you have poor circulation.

Both cold and hot therapy should also not be used on people who have sensory disorders without professional supervision. If the person cannot feel the cold or heat, this could be dangerous, causing burns or damage.

Heat therapy should not be used on people with diabetes, dermatitis, vascular diseases, deep vein thrombosis or multiple sclerosis (unless with medical supervision). If you are pregnant or have hypertension, also seek medical advice first.

Do not apply these therapies to open wounds

And don’t forget nutrition!

Another great way to manage pain is through good nutrition. Nutrients that may help keep pain away include magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, vitamin C, vitamin D and more. You can read more about this in greater detail here and check out Minerals - The Forgotten Nutrient.

Finally, make sure to take routine nutrient tests to identify any nutrient imbalances or deficiencies you may have. Good nutrition may enhance the benefits of cold and heat therapy. If you are not nutritionally balanced, the more pain you are more likely to have and the harder it will be to recover from wounds and injuries. If you discover you are nutritionally imbalanced, a competent healthcare professional can work with you to make the necessary dietary changes and recommend quality supplements where appropriate.